Special Views of Nature From Behind the Scenes: Two optional tours, i.e., tour 4 or 5

Hannover is Green: Two tours, i.e. tour 6 or 7

With a Glimpse at History: Two tours, i.e. tour 8 or 9

Please make your choice: Mark your preferred tour (see the Request Form at the bottom of this page, and also indicate an alternative tour (in case the size of groups for any of the tours is too large).

Some brief information has been compiled for you below.

Little Gems of Art and Culture: Three options, i.e., tour 1, 2 or 3

(Tour 1) The European Centre for Jewish Music (EZJM)

is located in the Villa Seligmann. This prestigious residence of the Jewish former director of the global player Continental PLC (tyres; automotive industries) was completed in 1906. The building is one of the few remaining, i.e., undestroyed testimonies of affluent Jewish families in Hannover prior to the Shoah (Holocaust) who had a noticeable impact on the social and cultural life in Hannover. Today, it houses the European Centre for Jewish Music (EZJM).

The European Centre for Jewish Music (EZJM) is an institute belonging to the Hannover University of Music, Drama and Media (HMTMH). Founded in 1988 by Professor Andor IzsÃ¡k in collaboration with the University of Augsburg, the EZJM has been based in Hannover since 1992. We are very happy that Professor IzsÃ¡k has agreed to give us a personal guided tour.

Professor IzsÃ¡k was the Head of the EZJM until his retirement in 2012, and he is still active as a musicologist ad conductor, dedicating his active life to rediscovering the lost music of the Jewish synagogues â a cultural heritage that was destroyed during the Nazi regime. His special focus is on reviving the lost, destroyed oeuvre of Jewish composers of the old traditions: for instance, the choral works of Louis Lewandowski and synagogal organ music. Professor IzsÃ¡k is a highly esteemed organiser and distinguished conductor of outstanding concerts in the large concert halls in Hannover and elsewhere. For these, he cooperates with highly renowned orchestras, choirs and most distinguished Jewish cantors from all over the world.

And â of course â Professor IzsÃ¡k has promised to play the organ for us!

Approx. 90 minutes. Participants: minimum 15, maximum 40.

After the tour you will have the opportunity to have dinner at a restaurant nearby.

was awarded the title âMuseum of the Yearâ in Germany in 2017 by the German Section of the International Association of Art Critics (Association Internationale des Critiques dâArt, AICA), with special regard to the outstanding collection of artwork of the 20th and 21st centuries (e.g., German Expressionism, French Modernity). The founding of the collection was a gift from Margit und Bernhard Sprengel in 1968.

The Sprengel Museum houses the Kurt-Schwitters-Archive (for exhibitions and research).

Kurt Schwitters was born in Hannover in1887, fled to Norway in 1937 and died in Switzerland in 1948. His artistic work is extremely manifold in terms of genre (Dadaism, Constructivism, Surrealism) and media (poetry, sound, painting, sculpture, graphic design, typography, installation art). He is particularly renowned for his collages, called Merz Pictures. Throughout a period of several years, he transformed several rooms of his family home in Hannover (starting about 1923 and finishing the first room in 1933) and called this the Merzbau (Merz Building). His works were put by the Nazis in the so-called Degenerate Art Exhibition Catalogue, 1937. Parts of the Merzbau were reconstructed on the premises of the Sprengel Museum (1981-1983) and are part of the permanent exhibition.

Lazar Markovich Lissitzky (1890 â1941), aka El Lissitzky, was a Russian artist, designer, architect, and important representative of the Russian avant-garde having great influence on Suprematism, on the Bauhaus movement (Weimar), on Constructivism, and on the graphic design of the 20th century. He created the Kabinett der Abstrakten (Cabinet of Abstract Art) for the former State Museum of the Province of Hannover between 1926 and 1928. It gained world-wide appraisal, however, it was destroyed during the Nazi regime with the suppression of modern artistic tendencies. Nowadays, visitors to the Sprengel Museum can step into a reconstruction of the cabinet.

in Hannover keeps, among others, the legacy of Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz that has remained intact because, right after the death of Leibniz, it was confiscated by the English King and Elector of Hannover, George I (the king wanted to keep the political contents concealed for political reasons). Nowadays, the Leibniz Archive comprises approx. 50,000 items, including Leibnizâs correspondence to more than 1,000 correspondents. These letters are regarded as being of superior value for the history of humanities, sciences, and culture in Europe and the western world; they were put on the UNESCO World Heritage list âMemory of the Worldâ in 2007.

Special Views of Nature From Behind the Scenes: Two tours, i.e. tour 4 or 5

(Tour 4) The Lower Saxony State Museum

(NiedersÃ¤chsisches Landesmuseum) has five departments dedicated to collecting and exhibiting paintings, graphics, sculptures (artifacts dating from the Middle Ages to the early 20th century) and finest exhibits from the field of archaeology, ethnology, and natural history. The Chief Curator of the Department of Natural History and one of her colleagues will be our guides. They will take us in front (first part) and behind (second part) the scenes of one of the Special Exhibitions, i.e., the Deep Sea, and will also tell us some other highlights and the general concept of their department.

The participants will be assigned to two groups (maximum 20 persons each), going on both parts of the tour.

Guided tour (focus on the Natural History Department/ Special Exhibition: Deep Sea)

Approx. 90 minutes. Participants: minimum 10, maximum 40.

After the tour you will have the opportunity to have dinner at a restaurant nearby, i.e., right next to the scenic Maschsee (together with participants of Tour 2).

Africa is on the doorstep, India is just around the corner â and Canada lies in between!

The Hannover Zoo looks back on a more than 150 years long and eventful history; its most glamorous period was around 1900.

From a classical zoo to an adventure park: The Â´Future ZooÂ´ had been planned as an EXPO2000 project long before the EXPO opened in Hannover. Â´Gorilla MountainÂ´ made the start in 1996. African animals now populate the Â´Zambezi RiverÂ´ landscape. Boats glide on the river and allow undisturbed views of the enclosures. The Â´Jungle PalaceÂ´ is a complex of hidden biotopes for Asian animals. Elephant husbandry has been improved, which was rewarded by several births since 2003, five of them in 2010 â a world record. In 2010, Â´Yukon BayÂ´ was opened: You can see polar bears, sea lions, wolves, and penguins.

Despite the zooÂ´s intense marketing as an adventure park, it is still an institution under scientific management and takes part in several breeding programs.

The participants will be assigned to two groups (maximum 25 persons each).

Guided tour (âBehind the Scenesâ)

Approx. 90 minutes. Participants: minimum 20, maximum 50.

After the tour you will have the opportunity to have dinner at the rustic âMeyerâs Innâ that belongs to the countryside idyll of âMeyerâs Farmâ, a typical example of the classic rural Lower Saxony; it is located within the zoo.

Hannover is Green: Two tours, i.e. tour 6 or 7

(Tour 6) City of Parks and Gardens

Hannover has been a city of gardens for almost 350 years. Ever since the Royal Baroque Garden* in Herrenhausen was laid out in the 18th century, the Hanoveriansâ enthusiasm for gardens has made sure that vibrant green spaces became an important part of their town.

Half of Hannover is woodland, fields, lakes and rivers and, of course, parks and gardens. The fine historic gardens in Herrenhausen, the parks, cemeteries, private greenspaces and over 20,000 KleingÃ¤rten ( allotment gardens) stand for Hannoverâs reputation as a Green City.

* Unfortunately, there will be no access to the GroÃer Garten (Royal Baroque Garden) during the day because of preparations for special events in the evening (all sold out!)

Berggarten and SEA LIFE Aquarium

Located across from the Great Garden, the Berggarten (Mountain Garden, originally located on a significant elevation of approximately 20 â twenty â metres!) originally provided ââ¦ useful plants for the sovereignâs table and pocket.â Here, everything from rice to tobacco was experimented with until 1790 when the cultivation of fruits and vegetables was moved off site. The garden then became solely devoted to ââ¦ higher purposesâ as a botanic garden.

Today, the Berggarten includes a series of greenhouses, both historic and modern, an orchid exhibition house, a paradise garden, an ornamental and subtropical courtyard and a collection of themed gardens. The Royal Mausoleum (erected for Queen Friederike and King Ernst August in 1842-1847) is also the final resting place of George I, the only English king to be buried outside Britain since the Middle Ages.

The Regenwaldhaus (Rain Forest House) was an EXPO2000 project and, since 2007, is the home of the SEA LIFE Aquarium presenting fascinating underwater worlds: SEA LIFE offers 3,500 square metres of habitats spanning from the local Leine River to the Caribbean Sea and up to the Amazon River. Whether itâs mussels, freshwater stingrays or piranhas, Germanyâs first tropical Sea Life Aquarium houses over 3,500 underwater creatures in 37 pools. The Ocean Poolâs eight-metre-long glass tunnel separates visitors by just a few centimetres from sharks and turtles. In the rain forest inside the tropical plant dome, a breath-taking ramble takes you over the unique glass bridge â and Cuban crocodiles lurk in the water below.

The participants will be assigned to several groups (maximum 10 persons each).

Guided tour (SEA LIFE Aquarium)

Approx. 90 minutes. Participants: minimum 20, maximum 40.

After the tour you will have the opportunity to take a walk through the Berggarten and to have dinner in a rustic, typical allotment garden colony nearby, together with participants of Tour 7 and 8.

We want to discover what makes Hannover one of the greenest cities in Germany.

The tour starts at the Old Campus, Bischofsholer Damm, at the street corner of the Braunschweiger Platz. We will pass through the Eilenriede, one of the biggest city forests in Europe, then head to the Maschsee (a scenic lake close to the city centre) and continue to the area of the so-called gravel ponds of Ricklingen (where Hannoveranians like to go on weekends and holidays for leisure and all sorts of outdoor activities). In fine weather, we can take a break and even go for a swim here.

Along the Maschsee and the small river Ihme, we will ride towards the Georgengarten which is part of the large park area of Herrenhausen. On our way, we will pass several sites typical for Hannover, e.g., the HDI Arena (home of German Football (Soccer) Premier League Club Hannover 96), Ihme Center, the culture center Faust in Hannover-Linden, and the Leibniz University.

Our tour will end near the Berggarten.

All bicycles are rented from a professional supplier. Your participation is at your own risk!

Length approx. 16 km, duration approx. 2.5-3 hours (including breaks)

Participants: minimum 10, maximum 20.

After the tour you will have the opportunity to have dinner, together with participants of Tour 6 and 8, in a rustic, typical allotment garden colony nearby.

With a Glimpse at History: Two tours, i.e. tour 8 or 9

(Tour 8) University of Hannover: Welfenschloss and âConti-Towerâ

The University of Hannover, officially the Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz UniversitÃ¤t Hannover, short Leibniz UniversitÃ¤t Hannover, is a state university founded in 1831. Today, it is one of the largest and oldest universities for engineering and technical sciences in Germany. The faculties and institutes (including humanities also) are distributed all over the city. Its main sites are the Welfenschloss and the former head quarter building of the Continental PLC (tyres; automotive industries) now publically known as the âConti-Towerâ.

TheWelfenschloss(Royal Castle) and the Royal Mews were originally built 1857-1866 as a residence for the royal family, however, was never used as such because the Kingdom of Hannover was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia in 1866, and became a Prussian Province. The castle was then reconstructed and has served as the home the University of Hannover since 1879. The Royal Mews were used by the Prussian Royal Uhlans until 1912. Afterwards, the building served as the studentâs canteen (of course after reconstruction). In 1960, it was partially torn down. The remaining part was restored 1982-1986 and nowadays houses a section of the German National Library of Science and Technology.

The âConti-Towerâ was built 1951-1953 and, at that time, was the highest multi-storey building in Germany (65 meters), together with some other buildings in that area, it is a significant example of style of the German Modern Architecture of the early post-war period. Today it is part of the Conti-Campus of the University. From the 12th floor, you will have a wonderful view over the Campus and the Gardens of Herrenhausen.

Guided tour (Welfenschloss/Leibniz Exhibition)

Approx. 90 minutes. Participants: minimum 10, maximum 20

After the tour you will have the opportunity to take a walk through the Berggarten and to have dinner (together with participants of Tours 6 and 7) in a rustic, typical allotment garden colony nearby.

This tour (by foot) will guide you through the historic sites of Hannoverâs origin next to the borders of the small river Leine: Some of the Old Townâs narrow alleys; theLeineschloss, i.e. the former main Royal Residence, nowadays housing the Parliament of Lower Saxony; some medieval half-timbered houses; and the Old Town Hall as well as the early 20th New Town Hall, the latter being a characteristic landmark with its magnificent dome dominating the cityâs silhouette.